Valle Salado de Añana Foundation

This complicated recovery project of one of the most important salt-related cultural landscapes in the world has been ongoing since the 1990s and can be divided into three stages:

-The first phase was conducted by a team of professionals between the years 2000 and 2004 and resulted in the "Master Plan for the Comprehensive Recovery of Valle Salado" which documented and investigated the tangible and intangible assets of the property and established guidelines that would ensure the future of Valle Salado.

-During the second phase (2005-2008), many of the actions prescribed in the Master Plan were implemented; however the main aspect was establishing the bases for the future management of the salt works.

-The third phase began in 2009 when the Valle Salado de Añana Foundation was established. This is the entity in charge of managing, recovering and enhancing the property.

The Foundation, as the single owner of Valle Salado, has three main objectives:

- Recover and preserve the material and environmental culture of the landscape to ensure its sustainability.

- Produce top quality salt products using traditional techniques and in a sustainable manner, respecting the ancient "know how" of the salt workers. The sale of this salt is already contributing to the self-financing of the project.

- Develop and recover, under an approach open to the public, cultural and tourism initiatives that are becoming the driving force of the social, economic and tourist development of the region.

Since its inception, the Foundation has been aware that its goal could not focus solely on Valle Salado but had to encompass much more. After years of work, we are proving that by following the roadmap established in the Management Plan, a document that updated the 2000-2004 Master Plan in 2013, Valle Salado is becoming a key element in the tourist, cultural, economic and social enhancement of Alava and the Basque Country.

With a long-term action programme, the Valle Salado de Añana Foundation is also promoting a number of social, functional and landscape actions open to citizens. At the same time, it is also conducting research work and promoting respect and the dissemination of traditional construction and production systems, as well as the encouragement of other resources that, functioning in a coordinated manner, will enhance this unique Cultural Landscape in the world.